Yahsat’s Al Yah 3 Satellite Arrives at Launch Site

Yahsat’s Al Yah 3 Satellite Arrives at Launch Site

Yahsat, a leading global satellite operator based in the UAE, and Orbital ATK, a global leader in aerospace and defense technologies based in the US, announced that the Al Yah 3 satellite has successfully arrived at its launch site in Kourou, French Guiana. The satellite, the third in Yahsat’s fleet, is scheduled to be launched on an Arianespace rocket on 25 January 2018.

Al Yah 3 is a Ka-band high-throughput satellite that will expand Yahsat’s coverage to an additional 19 markets in Africa and marks Yahsat’s entry into Brazil. The satellite’s footprint will cover 60% of Africa’s population and more than 95% of Brazil’s population.

“Al Yah 3 is a significant milestone in realizing our vision at Yahsat. Extending our affordable broadband services to 60% of the African population and more than 95% in Brazil to bridge the digital divide and enable a more connected world is core to our strategy. We look forward to the successful launch of Al Yah 3 and thereafter furthering our ambitions via future missions to support more growth for YahClick, and for our other business lines such as commercial in-flight connectivity,” said Marcus Vilaca, Chief Technology Officer at Yahsat.

“The satellite’s successful delivery highlights the teamwork and co-operation between Orbital ATK and Yahsat that brings us one step closer to advancing our customer’s goals. With the satellite now in Kourou, we look forward to working with both Yahsat and Arianespace to prepare for a successful launch on 25 January,” said Amer Khouri, Vice President of the Commercial Satellite Business at Orbital ATK.

The manufacture of Al Yah 3, which is the first hybrid electric propulsion GEOStar-3™ satellite to be completed by Orbital ATK, involved a project management team comprising Emirati engineers who have been based at Orbital ATK’s satellite manufacturing facility in Virginia, US. Leveraging the build of Al Yah 3 to develop national talent, Yahsat had enrolled 14 UAE Nationals in engineering apprenticeship programs, which ran over a six-month period at Orbital ATK’s manufacturing facility. The programs covered technical disciplines such as satellite payloads, ground networks systems and flight dynamics.

Yahsat is a leading global satellite operator, providing multipurpose satellite solutions for broadband, broadcast, government and communications use across the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and Central and South West Asia.

Headquartered in Abu Dhabi, UAE, and wholly owned by Mubadala Investment Company, the investment vehicle of the Government of Abu Dhabi, Yahsat is the first company in the Middle East and Africa to offer Ka-band services including YahClick, Yahsat Government Solutions, YahLink and Yahlive via its Al Yah 1 and Al Yah 2 satellites.

With the launch of Al Yah 3, Yahsat’s commercial Ka-band coverage will be extended to an additional 20 markets, reaching 60% of Africa’s population and over 95% of Brazil’s population.

Orbital ATK is a global leader in aerospace and defense technologies. The company designs, builds and delivers space, defense and aviation systems for customers around the world, both as a prime contractor and merchant supplier.

Orbital ATK’s main products include launch vehicles and related propulsion systems; missile products, subsystems and defense electronics; precision weapons, armament systems and ammunition; satellites and associated space components and services; and advanced aerospace structures. Headquartered in Dulles, Virginia, Orbital ATK employs approximately 13,000 people across the U.S. and in several international locations.